Generally, electrical connectors typically include a housing mounting a plurality of electrically conductive terminals therein. The housing usually is fabricated of nonconductive material and may be partly or entirely molded from plastic. The housing includes a mating end with structure that permits mating and unmating with a second electrical connector. The second electrical connector may be mounted to wires, a cable, a circuit board or other electrical lead means.
Often, electrical connectors are mounted in a panel or other appropriate support structure, the panel may be mountable in an aperture in the support structure. Many prior art connectors of this general type include separate means for achieving secure mounting of the connector to the support structure. For example, separate retaining means, such as bolts, clips or the like rigidly secure the connector housing to the support structure. Integral latches also have been used to avoid the need for separate retaining means. The latches typically are molded integrally with the connector housing to reduce costs, to facilitate assembly and to avoid inventory control problems.
On the other hand, many electrical connectors are employed in blind mating environments wherein precise alignment of the connectors during mating cannot always be assured. For example, an electrical connector mounted to a panel or other appropriate support structure may be disposed at a relatively inaccessible location in an automobile or other vehicle. Even if the connector location is not actually inaccessible, it often is desirable to provide for a degree of relative movement between the electrical connector and its support structure during mating with the second electrical connector. Without such movement, attempts to mate improperly aligned connectors can result in substantial damage to one or both connectors and/or to the fragile electrically conductive terminals mounted therein, thereby resulting in a poor quality electrical connection or no electrical connection at all.
The present invention is directed to providing various features in an electrical connector and its mounting system that improves the manufacturability, the assembly and/or the use of electrical connectors in environments wherein it is desirable to have some degree of movement of the connector relative to its mounting support structure and to facilitate mating the electrical connector to a complementary mating assembly.